Black Congress Members Introduce Trayvon Martin Resolution

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) have introduced a resolutionto honor Trayvon Martin, the 17-year-old Miami teen who was shot dead by neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman, the Washington Times reports.

CBC chair Emanuel Cleaver sponsored the resolution. Corrine Brown, Alcee Hastings and Frederica Wilson are co-sponsors. It is a non-binding resolution “urging the State of Florida and others to repeal the ‘Stand Your Ground‘ law, and admonishing involved parties to pursue full investigations into all homicides, regardless of defenses asserted by the offender.”

The Washington Times has more:

“His death is a tragedy that should not have happened, and it speaks to the reality that racial profiling still exists in America,” said Rep. Frederica Wilson of Florida, who is listed as one of four principal sponsors of the resolution.

Trayvon, 17, who was black, was shot and killed Feb. 26 while walking through a gated community in Sanford, Fla. His accused killer, George Zimmerman, who has a Hispanic mother and a white father, told police he acted in self-defense and hasn’t been arrested or charged.

Black Caucus members blamed Florida’s “Stand Your Ground Law,” which gives people wide latitude to use deadly force rather than retreat during a fight.

Thing is, the resolution may not make it to the House floor for a vote because Republicans are in the majority.